Novelty reflector device for self-viewing of a person by reflection



Feb. 27, 1962 M. DUGGAN 3,022,709

NOVELTY REFLECTOR DEVICE FOR SELF-VIEWING OF' A PERSON BY REFLECTIONFiled Nov. 20, 1958 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. L EE M. DUGQAN WWW ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3 Claims.(Cl. 88-84) This invention relates to a novelty reflector' device forself-viewing of a person by reflection in which the part of the personfacing and close to and in front of the reflector device will cause animage of `the person to appear in thereilector. This invention is to bedistinguished from a signaling device such as used on highways, inwhich, for instance, light from the headlight of a distant automobileimpinging on the reflector will be reflected back to the driver o f theautomobile. In such a case n o actual clear picture image of theheadlight will be observed by the driver, but he only observes vareflector area as a bright thing.

One of the objects of this invention is to p rovide a novelty'refletordevice having reflecting surfaces of dimensions suilcient so that aperson close to and in front of the reflector device will be reflectedso as to cause a eries of clear picture images of the person to appearside y side.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description, in which willbe set forth a number of embodiments; it is to be understood, however,that this invention is susceptible of various embodiments within thescope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top view of `a novelty reflector device embodying thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a face view of the reflector device and;

FIG. 3 is a detail showing another embodiment of this invention, theparts 2, 3 and 5 being shown in plan and not 1n section.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1 `designates a support of anysuitable construction, which has arranged therein a contiguous series ofreflecting units, each composed of reflecting surfaces Zand 3 andarranged in series with their apexes in a plane 'along the back of thercfleetor to present successive optical apertures in 4a plane along thefront of the reflector device. The surfaces 2 and 3 of each of the unitsare plane mirrors and are arranged in relative right angular relation,and with the units arranged in a contiguous series horizontally alongthe front of the reflector device. Accordingly light emanating from aperson will ybe multiply reflected at varying angles Lback to theperson. The apices formed by the adjacent reflecting units are verticalon the support 1 `and the reflecting surfaces 2 and 3 thereof are invertical planes. Accordingly a part of -a person, such as the head 4 infront of the reflector, FIG. l, will be multiply reflected to `appear asa series of clear picture images of the person and these are arrangedside by side as shown in FIG. 2. The dimensions of each of the units andof the `apertures thereof are, however, of sufficient dimen sions, sothat the part of a person facing and placed close to and in front of thereflector device will be multiply reilected by lthe several uni-ts tocause ya series of clear picture images of the person to lappear side byside along the front of the reflector. As a practical example, thetransverse dimension of each of the surfaces 2 and 3 may be on the orderof three inches but the vertical dimension may -be variable on the orderof twelve inches or even higher so that each optical aperture will beabout 4.25

by l2 inches.

The reflecting surfaces 2 and 3 may be of glass, which is silvered onthe back 4in the manner in which mirrors are made. However, thesesurfaces may be of metal such 'ice as aluminum which can be highlypolished to form re fleeting surfaces. The surfaces may, however, beformed of any other metal, -which may be elec-troplated with 'siiver andpolished to form reflecting surfaces. When the reflecting surfaces aremade of metal that may be made in one piece, it can be bent as shown inFIG. l.

The operation of this device is striking in its novel action. Thus, ifin FIG. 1 -an object such as the head and upper part of a personindicated at 4 -be placed in front of and close to the novelty reflectordevice at about the position shown, that is between the two ends of thereflector device, a series of clear picture images of the person willappear side by side along the front of the reflector device, FIG. 2.Thus, if there are a series of four units, four images will appear.However, the person at 4 facing and close to and in front of thereflector will only see picture images of himself; and he will not seepicture images of anybody to the right or left at all, although imagesof persons and objects some distances back of 4 will also appear. In theoperation -asshown in FIG. 2, `the person will appear head-up and nothead-down, although laterally the Iarms will appear reversed.

In order to further vary the construction and operation of thereflector, placed in one or more of the units, FIG. 3, `are transparentscreens 5, which are in the path of the rays from one surface to theother surface. Accordingly, if the screen 5 be colored, a colored imagewill appear. The screens 5 in the several units may have differentcolors. Thus, reading from left to right, the first screen may be plainglass, the second red, the third yellow and the fourth brown.Accordingly, the person at 4, FIG. l, will see (if white) images readingagain from left to right, white, red, yellow and brown.

The novelty reflector device is capable of various uses. Thus, it may beplaced in back of the bar in taverns and the person at the bar will onlysee his or her own image. Another application is for washrooms above thewashbowls, cocktail lounges, etc. The effect of the novelty reflector isstriking and will attract attention. Not only will Va part of a personsuch as the head in front of the reflector be multiply reflected toappear `as la series of clear picture images arranged side by side, FIG.2, but a person in front of the reflector will only see himself orherself and no one to the right or left.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A novelty reflector device for self-viewing of a person -byreflection, comprising, a support, multiple reflecting units arranged ina contiguous series to present successive optical apertures horizontallyalong the reflector device, the apertures being arranged in asubstantially contiguous plane horizontally along the front of thereflector device, each unit having plane mirrors `arranged in relativeright-'angular relation, the back apexes of the units being arrangedvertically on said support, said units being constructed to multiplyreflect light emanating from the person close to and yin front of thereflector device and substantially at right angles to the apexes andimpinging on each of the units to lbe multiply reflected at varyingangles back to the person, the dimensions of each of the units and ofthe apertures thereof being suilicient so that only the part of theperson facing and close to the reilector will be multiply reflected bythe several units to cause a series of clear picture images of theperson only to appear horizontally side by side along the front of thereflector device.

2. A novelty reflector device for self-viewing of `a person byreflection, comprising, a support, multiple reflecting units arranged ina contiguous series to present successive optical apertures horizontallyalong the reflector device, the apertures being arranged in asubstantially contiguous plane horizontally along the front of the re-AHector device, each unit having plane mirrors arranged in relativeright-angular relation, the back -apexes of the units being arrangedvertically on said support, said units being constructed to multiplyreect light emanating from the person close to and in front of therelector de` vice and substantially -at right angles to the apexes andAimpinging on each of ythe units to be multiply reected at varyingangles back to the person, each of said 11n-its having a colored lightscreen in the path of fthe reflected light, the dimensions of each ofthe units and of the apertures thereof being sulicient so that only thepart of the person facing and close :t0 lthe rector will be multiplyreilected by the several units to cause a series of colored clearpicture images of the person only to appear horizontally side by sidealong the front of the reectordevice.

3. A novelty reflector device for self-viewing of a person byreflection, comprising, a support, multiple reflecting units arranged ina contiguous series to present snccessive optical apertures,horizontally along the reflector device, the apertures being arranged ina substantially contiguous plane horizontally along the front of thereector device, each unit having plane mirrors arranged in relativeright-angular relation, the back apexes of the units being arrangedvertically on said support, said units being constructed to multiplyreilect light emanating from the person close to and in front of therel-lector device and substantially at right angles to the apexes andimpinging on each of the units to be multiply retiected at varyingangles baciato the pe1sonsaid .units having light screensY of variouscolors arranged successively along and in the paths of the reiiectedlight, the dimensions of each of the units and of the apertures thereofbeing sufficient so that only the part of the person facing andclosentlo the re ector will be multiplyl reected by -the several vunits'-to cause a Series of differently colored clearv picture images of theperson only to appear Vhorizontally side by side along the front of thereflector device.

References cned in the me olf-this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHERREFERENCES The Sunday Star,Dccember 19, 1926, l sht, drawing cited(Underwood 8: Underwood photograph)..

